- Title:
- For club or country? Hockey in wartime Canada, 1939-1945.
- Creator:
- Panunto, Gabriel Stephen, 2000
- Date Created:
- 2000
- Degree Awarded:
- Master of Arts
- Subjects:
- Hockey National Hockey League Sports Social Aspects World War, 1939-1945 Canadian Army Recruiting, Enlistment, Etc Nationalism And Sports
- Geographical Focus:
- Canada
- Supporting Materials:
- n/a
- Description:
- Sports reflect the societies that support them, and hockey in Canada during World War Two is no exception. Popular hockey history has defined the era as one of great sacrifices by the National Hockey League, largely because academic research is non- existent. A closer examination reveals no great sacrifices in players or profit by NHL clubs. Most players who enlisted continued to play hockey on military teams, without seeing combat. This occurred with the tacit approval of the public, and with the help of the federal government’s flexible manpower policies. While this flexibility allowed players to escape combat, it was a side effect of an effort to appease pro- and anti- conscription factions. Morale-boosting was the catch-all justification for the continuation of professional and military hockey, as it tied overseas servicemen to home and reminded civilians of a better, peaceful time. More than that, it was an “acceptable” form of distraction, as it encouraged social cohesion and promoted nationalism.
Source
- Preferred Citation:
- Panunto, Gabriel Stephen, 2000. 2000. "For club or country? Hockey in wartime Canada, 1939-1945.", Department of History, Carleton University
- Link to this page:
- https://cuhistory.github.io/grads/items/hist_192.html
Rights
- Rights:
- Copyright the author, all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.